Wheat Vs. Real Wheat

So important today to ask ourselves today. Are we eating wheat or something like it?

I was born in India and I reminisce about the old days when harvesting of wheat was an event celebrated with new clothes, lots of homemade sweets, celebratory fairs. Old traditional techniques were used to sow and care for this precious crop- after all a meal was never complete without precious home-made phulka or chappati. My Dad tells me there was even a time when people used to wait months for wheat supply to flourish again. You’d wait for hours in lines with your ration cards, and then enter a warehouse where one would ground fresh dried wheat straight into a wheat sack. You’d rush back home, ignoring the weight, because you know you’re about to eat fresh Roti. Back then no one had heard the term “Gluten Intolerance” let alone anyone be allergic to wheat.

Nowadays, more and more people are allergic or have an intolerance to wheat, but when they return home (India, Italy etc), they have no reaction whatsoever. Wheat, Barley, Oats- a staple in many cultures may not be as healthful as one may think. So what is the difference? Is it the wheat or is it what’s done to it? I recently came to know the term “desiccation of wheat”- basic Google meaning is the process of extreme drying. And that’s exactly what’s done to 90-95% of Canadian Wheat.

Due to wet weathers, to reduce the natural drying time, Glyphosate is sprayed pre-harvest to speed up this process. It doesn’t dry the crop; rather it’s used to kill the crop earlier. This means a farmer now has an extra 10-14 days to dry the crop. In fact, did you know all conventional farmers in Saskatchewan desiccate their wheat?

Glyphosate, an endocrine disturber and has been linked to many serious health issues including cancer. This commonly used herbicide is also toxic to good bacteria in the soil. Robert Kremer a microbiologist said “This system is altering the whole soil biology. We are seeing differences in bacteria in plant roots and changes in nutrient availability. Glyphosate is very systemic in the plant and is being released through the roots into the soil. Many studies show that Glyphosate can have toxic effects on microorganisms and can stimulate them to germinate spores and colonize root systems."

Other researchers are showing that Glyphosate can immobilize manganese, an essential plant micro-nutrient.” It also affects gut health by killing the good bacteria and inhibiting the growth of bad bacteria. Could be the reason behind the Leaky Gut Syndrome causing various intolerance? Could disturbed gut bacteria, found in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diarrhea, and malnutrition, as well as Celiac and gluten intolerance be related to crop Desiccation and the use of Glyphosate?

Organic wheat certified ensures these chemicals are kept out of your food. I always advise everyone to choose organic whenever possible. And always look for the Organic Canada label (or the USDA organic label). These labels have an extremely stringent process for certification. I will talk about these labels in another post soon. Keep reading and connecting with us.

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Chavi Morawiec is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist who contributes Alternative Health knowledge to our Bloom Living Blog and social media channels.